A woman is determined to thank the Biffa bin man who saved the dead body of her cat from the roadside to be returned to her.

Mum of two Amanda Lewis, 44, from St Michaels was worried when their family cat Kipper went missing on Thursday, July 14.

Mrs Lewis chatted to neighbours, posted on Facebook, delivered leaflets and checked garages.

She said: “The hottest day of the year was fast approaching and I was so worried that our precious cat was locked in a garage with no water and no food there would be no way she would survive.

“On the Monday morning I went into my vet to report her missing to be told that we were the third family to report their pet missing that morning. I was worried sick, had she been stolen?”

That afternoon, the family were “devastated” to receive a phone call from a woman at Ashford Borough Council saying Kipper had been hit and killed on the A28.

Mrs Lewis continued: “She offered to dispose of her but I wanted to bring her back home so she gave me a contact number to arrange collection.”

What Mrs Lewis discovered next however taught her ‘that nice people do exist’.

She explained: “Little did I know that it was actually a Biffa bin man who had found her on Monday morning at 5am and had taken her to the depot, found out who she belonged to because she was microchipped and as a result I was contacted.

The family held a small burial service for Kipper on Tuesday of last week and have sent a thank you card to the mystery binman.

Biffa and Ashford KM reporters are now working to arrange a meeting with him and Mrs Lewis.

She said: “I don’t know who he is. I am just so grateful that he did not just throw her away like a piece of rubbish but took the time and effort to reunite her with her devastated family.

“We have closure. I know she’s safe now. I know where she is.

“It’s nice to see that compassion isn’t dead.

“Thank you also for the person who put her on to the grass verge so she was not run over and squashed.”

The Lewis family still have Kipper’s sister Casper for company.

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